Being a Hockey Parent

[E.J.]

Originally Posted by Ahbroody

So on Saturday Mich says the words never want to hear. " Dad can I play soccer?"

....I came VERY close to covering my computer monitor with coffee....


Those pics look familiar...

[Eleven]

Your pictures are always great EJ, what kind of set up do you use?

[E.J.]

Originally Posted by Eleven

Your pictures are always great EJ, what kind of set up do you use?

Thanks.... I use a Canon 30D w/ a Canon 70-200 2.8 attached for almost all the sports shots....

A bit of an impulse buy about 5 or so years ago due to frustration with the photos I was getting at the rink.... That said, it has ended up being a great purchase.

[Ahbroody]

Nice pics. We have an NIKON SLR but my wife takes it to work and I am generally not allowed to play with it as I break things.

Yeah I almost spit my soda out when Micah asked about soccer. We live across from a school so every Saturday he sees people playing. Some of the kids on his team had a soccer game afterwards which is where he got the idea from. Hoping we have our 3 sports locked up. nothing against soccer fans just don't love the game

[E.J.]

Once of my favorite lacrosse shots....

[Eleven]

I have a Rebel XS with the EF-S 18-55mm IS lens. I haven't been able to learn much more than the auto-set point-and-shoot mode. I also have a 75-300mm zoom lens without IS.

I'm sure it takes better shots than I am currently getting, but man they are NOTHING like the ones I am seeing here.

One of these days

[E.J.]

2 good fights tonight in the Varsity game..... Both had kids really throwing punches(gloves & helmets on), one for a significant amount of time.... Though I find it a bit amusing and would have no problem with the Little Man going at it if the situation warranted, I still get a very uneasy feeling when parents are cheering high school kids fighting.

Of course the kids in the stands are going to go WILD.... But IMO, it is not a parents(or someone over 30 for that matter) place to cheer fighting at this level......

[J0eybb]

We had a fight in our adult game last tuesday. My teamate was roughed, and retaliated. Aparently the guy and his dad play together. When they were done, and laying on the ground, his dad started yelling get off him, and them slammed his stick a foot from the two downed players. It was pretty funny how mad this guy was, but he almost got layed out by two of us. I'm not a fighter, but I had to get involved, and rough this guy back away.

[J0eybb]

Originally Posted by E.J.

2 good fights tonight in the Varsity game.....

Is there any suspensions for fighting at the HS level?

[E.J.]

Originally Posted by J0eybb

Is there any suspensions for fighting at the HS level?

Yes...and it is no slap on the wrist....

20.2. UHSH Penalties for Fighting

A. Any player receiving a Fighting penalty as noted on the official score sheet, (other than players receiving such a penalty while participating with the Utah Stars), shall be suspended for the balance of that game and for the next three games of that team.

B. Any player receiving a second Fighting penalty in a season, as noted on the official score sheet, (other than players receiving such a penalty while participating with the Utah Stars), regardless of which other team he/she was playing with when he/she received the penalty, shall be suspended for the balance of that game and for the next five games of that team.

C. Any player receiving a third Fighting penalty in a season, as noted on the official score sheet, (other than players receiving such a penalty while participating with the Utah Stars), regardless of which team he/she was playing with when he/she received the penalty, shall be suspended from participating in any UHSH activity, including Utah Stars participation, for a period of one (1) year from the date of the penalty.

D. Any player who is suspended for "Fighting" shall not be eligible to participate in any other game activities of UHSH or which are sponsored by UHSH, including but not limited to, participation on another team, participation in the Utah Winter Games, High School All Star Game, out-of-state games, etc., during the period of suspension. In all of the above cases the player may participate with any appropriate team in a practice capacity only, unless prohibited by USA Hockey.

E. A player who receives a one (1) year suspension, need not register with UHSH the following season in order for the suspension to be properly served.

F. Upon each 1 year suspension, UHSH shall contact, in writing, the Utah Amateur Hockey Association and recommend that the offending player be suspended from any participation in any Utah Hockey program for the same 1 year period. If the player should leave the state and it can be ascertained that he/she is participating in another USA Hockey program, a letter shall be written to that program outlining the sanction and requesting that the player serve the suspension with that program.

G. Players receiving a "Fighting" penalty must serve the required number of games for the team with which they were playing when they received the penalty. During the period of required suspension, the offending player must also serve up to a maximum of the same number of games for any other team with which he may be playing, including the Utah Stars. If there are fewer or the same number of games for the other team(s) on which the player also participates than the number of games required to be served on the original team where the penalty was incurred, then the player will only be required to serve that number of games for that other team(s).

A player participating on three different teams who receives a first "Fighting" penalty could serve up to a maximum of 3 games for each

[E.J.]

1-0 for the day so far....

Have another game at 6:45....

[Ahbroody]

No hockey for the boy this weekend. There is a tourney at the rinks.
Micah used to prefer roller to ice. Lastnight after attending a practice he decided this was no longer the case. He has realized he's a lot faster on ice, the Puck does what its supposed to do on ice and his edge work, something he is already recognized for is not as good.

It was interesting watching him struggle out there. I am going to keep him going, but I need to research trying to get his pitch the same as ice. His stride looked wrong and he was falling on breakaways and hard turns which pissed him off. So much so he came over to the bench to inform me he was upset and something was wrong with his skates. In fairness to him he was trying out new skates and the chassis is flat so it doesn't skate like an ice skate. His last chasis worked a lot like an ice skate in that it was 3 wheels and you were either on the front 2 or back 2 wheels.

I really should start that blog.

[E.J.]

You should get on the blog Mike, there would be many appreciative and better informed parents out there....

The Little Man's rec team took one on the nose last night.... It could be a LONG SEASON for that team....

On a brighter note.... Fun day at the rink today....




Trying to fit in with the Little Man and his friends....

[Ahbroody]

Here is what I was referencing.


The skate at the back has a tri-d chassis. The middle wheel is always in contact. Then either the rear or front wheel, but never both. This allows you to be up on your toes more. In the other skate all wheels are down.

This immediately caused him to feel back on his heels and changed his stride. It became a shorter stride.

Today I grabbed two of the stx. Fiddle stx and started working with Micah on throwing left as they had him throwing right at lacrosse class. He was throwing harder and closer to target immediately. Anyone who's boy plays lax which hand is his top hand. Micah is a lefty throws left, bats both, shots hockey right.

[E.J.]

Originally Posted by Ahbroody

Micah is a lefty throws left, bats both, shots hockey right.

Little Man writes and eats left.... Does everything else right? Crazy....

[Eleven]

The things we do for our kids:

[E.J.]

EXCELLENT Scott!

Looks like my youngest, Mitch, is going to Arizona State next year. He received a deans scholarship and the hockey coach has called and talked with his at length.

Who the hell am I going to root for when Penn State plays Arizona!?

Mike, as hard as it was I let the boys play whatever sport they wanted when they asked. They always came back to hockey. (Thank God!)

[E.J.]

Originally Posted by ahc4353

Looks like my youngest, Mitch, is going to Arizona State next year. He received a deans scholarship and the hockey coach has called and talked with his at length.

CONGRATS to Mitch!

Tempe would be a GREAT, GREAT place to go to school. I spent a little time on that campus during my college years and was floored by the talent walking around....

[Ahbroody]

Originally Posted by ahc4353

Looks like my youngest, Mitch, is going to Arizona State next year. He received a deans scholarship and the hockey coach has called and talked with his at length.

Who the hell am I going to root for when Penn State plays Arizona!?

Mike, as hard as it was I let the boys play whatever sport they wanted when they asked. They always came back to hockey. (Thank God!)

Awesome news. Nothing like getting a free education. Congrats on raising some great young men.


As to the sport thing.... I generally agree, but dude ITS SOCCER!!! I know I really have nothing to worry about though. If given a choice he takes the hockey stick everytime. We just have a strict no soccer policy in our house. I explained to him Soccer might interfere with hockey and he was over it. He actually has not mentioned it since that day.